Electric-railway construction



Patented Sept. 20, I898.

W. CHAPMAN &. P. W. DAVIES.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

(Application filed Nov. 23, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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N0. 6ll,056. Patented Sept. 20, I898.

W. CHAPMAN &. P. W. DAVIES. ELECTRIC RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

(Application filed Nov. 28, 1897.)

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WILLIAM CHAPMAN AND PERCY W. DAVIES, OF PITT SBVURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,056, dated September 20, 1898.

Application filed November 23, 1897. Serial No. 65 9,642. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States, and PERCY W. DAVIES, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric-Railway Construction, (Case No. 761,) of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to electric railways, and particularly to 'that class of railways which employ one or more rail-conductors extending along the track and near the surface of the roadway.

In systems of the general class to which our invention belongs, generally designated as third-rail systems, it has been usual to sup ply the current by means of a rail mounted upon suitable insulated supports and extending along the roadway between the trackrails, such rail being rendered a continuous conductor either by welding the rail-sections together or suitably bonding them, so that the entire rail will carry current during the operation of the road.

It is the object of our invention, broadly speaking, to provide means whereby the supply conductor or rail may be divided up into sections insulated from each other in such a manner that all of the sections shall be dead except the particular one over which the car or train is passing.

Our invention consists in anew means for insulating the separate sections from each other, so as to provide for expansion and contraction of the sections with changes in temperature, means for connecting the insulated supply-conductor to each section, and means for bonding the subsections or individual rails which are comprised in each of the insulated sections. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the adjacent end portions of two contact-rail sections and the insulating connection between the two; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section'of one end of a contact-rail and a portion of its'insulatingconnection. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line III III of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4: is a corresponding section taken on line IV IV of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a section of railway equipped with our improvements. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of contact-rail and a connector for the line conductor, and Figs. 7 and 8 are respeo tively transverse sectional views taken on lines VII VII and VIII VIII of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a View, partially in side'elevation and partially in section, of two abutting rail-subsections and the bonding-splice connecting the same. Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on line :1; as of Fig. 9.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, l is the rail, which is preferably of invertedtrough shape, having inclined sides both above and below, but having its upper portion broadened so as to form a flat horizontal contact-surface of considerable width at the top. The individual rails or subsections are bonded together so as to form rail-sections of considerable 'lengthsay, five hundred feet-as will be hereinafter more fully described, and these sections are connected together at their ends as follows: An insulating-block 2, which may be conveniently constructed of Wood, is reduced in size at its ends, and the reduced portions 3 are driven into sockets 4 in metal extensions 5. Each of these extensions 5 is provided with a recess 6 in its under side adjacent to the socket 4 and with a lug 7 at a point somewhat nearer its free end. Each of the adjacent rail-section ends is provided with a guide-clamp 8, having inclined jaws or clips 9, which extend above and engage with the outer sides of the lower edges of the corresponding rail 1. A block 10 fits into the outer end of the guideclamps S and preferably has an upper sur face which closely fits the under surface of the rail. In order to fasten the rail and guide clamp rigidly together, a wedge 11 is driven in between the under side of the block 10 and the bottom of the guide-clamp 8,the block 10 the end of the rail-section and the corresponding end of the guide-clamp 8 and make a fairly good fit. This construction permits of the expansion and contraction of the railsections, as will be readily understood. In order that such contraction and expansion may be distributed with substantial uniformity as regards the insulating-blocks, I provide a removable stop-piece 12 for each guide-clamp and corresponding extension 5. Assuming that the insulating-block and its extension and the guide-clamp 8 are in the relative positions indicated in Fig. 2, the stoppiece 12 may be inserted into the recess 6 and held in that position until the extension is moved into its recess in the guide-clamp to the point where the recess 6 is immediately over the corresponding recess 13 in the bottom of the guide-clamp. The stop-piece 12 will then drop into the recess 13. \Vhen in this position, the extension 5 can be withdrawn only to the point at which the lug 7 strikes the stop-piece. If it is desired to remove the stop-piece 12 at any time, it can be done by moving the extension 5 in until the recess 6 is immediately over such stop-piece, when the stop-piece may be raised by means of any suitable instrument inserted in the hole 14 in the guiding-clamp which communicates with the recess 13.

Referring now to Figs. 6, 7, and 8, 15 is a clamp similar to the clamp 8, illustratedin the preceding figures, except that it may be of less length. 16 is a block the upper surface of which fits the under surface of therail. This block is provided at one end with a socket 17 for the reception of the end of the supply-conductor 18. A plastic bond 19 is inserted between each inclined side of the block 16 and the adjacent side of the rail 1 and is closely clamped between the block and rail by means of the wedge 20.

In Fig. 9 we have shown means for bonding the subsections or individual rails together, such means comprising a long clamp 21, of the same construction, except as regards dimensions, as the clamps already described, a long block 22, provided with side recesses in which are located copper strips 23, plastic bonds 24:, located in recesses in the strips 23, and wedges 25 for forcing the blocks 22 upward against the rail, and thus clamping the block, the rail, copper strip 23, and plastic bond 24 rigidly and closely together.

It is our intention to employ the two lines of sectional rails, as indicated in Fig. 5, in order to have a complete metallic circuit; but

ing switch will preferably be included between the insulated line conductor and each of the rail-sections, this switch being magnetically actuated to close the circuit through the rail over which the car or train is passing and serving to automatically open the circuit through each rail when the car or train has passed on to the next section. Systems embodying such circuit making and breaking means being well known in the art we have not deemed it advisable or necessary to illustrate the same.

Although we have shown and described specific means for practicing our invention, we desire it to be understood that the details may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

We claim as our invention- 1. In a contact-rail for electric railways comprising sections insulated from the ground and from each other, guide-clamps fastened to the ends of the rail-sections, and insulating blocks having extensions and located between adjacent rail-sections, said guideclamps having limiting-stops to prevent the complete withdrawal of the insulating-block extensions.

2. In a contact-rail for electric railways, comprising insulated sections, guide-clamps keyed to the ends of said sections and provided with removable limiting stop-pieces and insulating-sections having extensions located and movable longitudinally in said guideclamps to adegree limited by said stop-pieces.

3. In a contact-rail for electric railways constructed in sections, guide-clamps fastened to the ends of the sections and provided with removable stop-pieces, insulating-blocks and sockets for the ends of said blocks provided with extensions which are located and movable longitudinally in the guide-clamps and have projections to engage the removable stop-pieces.

4:. In a contact-rail for electric railways of inverted-trough shape and constructed in sections, a guide-clamp having jaws for gripping the rail edges, a block fitting the under side of the rail and located in the guide-clamps at or near one end, a Wedge between the block and the guide-clamp, an insulating-block having extensions located in the adjacent guideclamps and movable longitudinally witlrreference thereto, and means for limiting said movement.

5. A contact-rail for electric railways of inverted-trough shape, in combination with a clamp having jaws for gripping the rail edges, a block provided with a socket for the supplyconductor, a plastic bond between the block and the rail and a wedge between the block and the clamp.

6. A contact-rail for electric railways of inverted-trough shape and constructed in sec- In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed myname this 18th day of November, I 5

WM. CHAPMAN.

Witnesses:

J AMES B. YOUNG, H. O. TENER.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22d day of November,

P. W. DAVIES.

' Witnesses:

JAMES B. YOUNG, II. C. TENER. 

